This was mind blowing, and I still cant explain it. My customer bought a new drain pump and it still did not work. He brought it to my shop and we did all the checks. At the connection to the pump the volt meter reads 116 vac, pump would not run.

Both pumps hooked to test leads run. I even cut off the black connector, I have had problems there before.

I found out that the output at j16 2-3 was reading 116 vac, even with out a call for the drain pump. In manual mode the 116 was there all the time. Lights led, flash when pump called to start.(in manual mode)

I disconnected the mode shifter, the water solenoids, and any other 120 loads, volts still there. Changed mode shifter still there.

Now it has to be a bad board, but cant figure out how it is getting a good voltage, but not running a load.

I did notice what I believe is a TRIAC (two of them ) on the board diagram, and in my PLC days they pass voltage all the time when used as control, gates switches .. Verses a relay on/off signal. Does anyone have a electronics Degree and can explain what

I am use to calling a GHOST voltage, LYING dog. It may read 116 but it has no power. I did get some tingling from the case as I worked on the pump.. That told me some thing is passing voltage to ground the wrong way.

Has anyone had this before.

Relay 7 on the board has to be closed, or this voltage is feeding back through the neutral.

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About the icons: The beer is tip link, if a tech saves ya some money buy em a 6 pack(diet coke in my case) . The small green square=personal message.

Thats why, I am calling this post crazy. You get out your fancy dancy, 850.00 Fluke process meter and read 116 volts at the hot and netural and the customer is watching you. You being able to read the meter think, it should run.

Its not accurate, it wont run a pump, light, or any load.. Its a ghost, lying to you.

This is where we wish we would have went ahead and took the Electronics class, to understand Solid State devices.I took Industrial electricity, electro mechanical devices and PLC, and that is all I need at the time to do Industrial Maintenance.

Now most of these appliances are incorporating, boards, triacs, piezo electric (water level sensors read by hertz) diodes, sink or source DC circuits.. Using the neutral to close the circuit, verses a low volt or 120 vac.

I ran into a similar problem on the LID switch circuit on these VMW.. There was no neutral going through the switch circuit.

switches were making, solenoid motor locking, but there was not a neutral coming OUT of the board. And it looks for it coming back into the board. You have to find a hot wire and put tests leads between hot and lid switch s neutral, to see if neutral is there

THIS made me think about how DEVICES are programmed.

A master safety circuit: Like a emergency stop. If one device trips a alarm. IT shuts off, opens all Neturals.. they are in series, or tied to a master safety relay. If one fails none can run.

I never got the chance to verify this, But on the new GE washers, the HIgh HIGH, pressure switch (water level), will shut down the entire board, (kill the neutral)

it would not let me do Diagnostics, even with a new board. I never got to go back to check and see if the HIGH LEVEL was stuck, customer thought I was an Idiot, or trying to get him some way. I didnt even charge my service call fee after three trips to his house.

and that brings up a question? Is there any reset procedure, now, The old Tech sheets dont have one, but perhaps whirlpool did not print all their info.

I noticed on a newer tech sheet, that the basket, spin test is not mentioned ( this unit had a digital display for numbers)

will be back, have a samsung refrigerator to work on find parts..

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About the icons: The beer is tip link, if a tech saves ya some money buy em a 6 pack(diet coke in my case) . The small green square=personal message.

Thanks, Dab, That is it, and I aint boasting, but I felt good that I could remember to call it a Ghost voltage.. ie proper Term among PROFESSIONAL technically speaking people. When I use those terms around customers they shake their head and tell me , SHUT UP and JUST FIX IT..LOL

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About the icons: The beer is tip link, if a tech saves ya some money buy em a 6 pack(diet coke in my case) . The small green square=personal message.

I had this on my father in laws cabrio, different washer, but pretty similar problem, it would send power to the pump, however the neutral return through the board had somehow failed. if you tested for continuity through the board to the plug you'd get nothing for the drain pump. on the cabrio though their is a circulation pump that plugs in next to the drain pump, I checked that and found that oddly enough the neutral from that pump was fine, tied the two neutrals together so that the drain pump used other neutral and it works. still going strong after 2 years.

probably worth noting that again, this was my father in laws washer in an unfinished concrete basement... and I explained it was either try this or a new board... on a normal customers washer I would likely quote for a new board rather than take on the liability of rewiring experiments...

Ghost Vac? If you connect a load to the circuit, ie pump, you will see the vac will drop to 0 vac. I don't know the explanation of this, not enough knowledge of electronics, but I know it to be true. I have been burned by this one too many times. I make sure to test vac with a load on the circuit.